Crucial Ballistix 1GB Kit (2x512MB) PC2-6400/DDR2-800 Memory Review

The introduction ...

Not only Intel PCs are using DDR2 modules, in the meanwhile it is also necessary for AMD PCs
to look for DDR2 memory modules.
Who like to upgrade for example to a current AMD Socket AM2 system, will find only the newer 240-pin DIMM
sockets instead of the usual 184-pin sockets on these motherboards.
However, in spite of the higher memory bus range you should expect no miracles.
The Crucial Ballistix 1GB Kit (BL2KIT6464AA804) with 2x512MB PC2-6400/DDR2-800 CL4 memory modules are tested
with usual frequencies, and with highest possible clock speeds in this test report.
Let us see if it's possible to overclock these DDR2 Dual Channel memory modules on the Socket AM2 Motherboard and
if the performance increasement is as high as expected.

Thanks for the support ...

Many thanks for the support with the BL2KIT6464AA804 Ballistix 1GB PC2-6400 kit by the manufacturer Crucial.

The 1 GB kit includes two 512 MB Ballistix 240-pin DDR2-800 (PC2-6400) memory modules and the current price
is about 224 euro (10/2006).
They're available with the upper banner in the Crucial Shop and at our sponsors.

The supply of the two 512MB PC2-6400 memory modules ...

In this small box are the two very well protected memory modules:

That is contained in the scope of delivery ...

Crucial supplies the two memory modules as well as a multilingual installation guide, which should make it possible
also for less experienced users to install them easily:

The technical data ...

Characteristics and other features ...

The memory modules are provided on a black plate with gold passive heatsinks (heatspreader) which are supposed to
enhance the memory cooling also with higher frequencies and/or higher voltages.
Thus one achieves on the one hand better results with overclocking and on the other hand a longer life-time,
whereby Crucial by the way grants lifelong warranty (Limited Lifetime Warranty) for the buyer
(all informations to manufacturer conditions are of course without guarantee by ocinside.de).

Here's another picture of the fancy Crucial Ballistix modules ...

Benchmark values and test results ...

Let us begin with the most important part of the test report, because the optics is of course rather secondary and
the possible stable performance is the most important factor.
The test results are based on an ASRock AM2XLI eSATA2 SLI motherboard with an Athlon 64 Socket AM2 3000+
CPU on different frequencies depending on the reference clock for the different memory benchmarks.
Thus the multiplier adjustment remains on 9x with all frequencies, because an adjustment for the CPU in half multiplier
steps would be too inaccurate to get nearly the same CPU frequency for all tests.

Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2 is used as operating system.
The stability was examined with the software Memtest86 and SiSoft Sandra Lite 2007.SP1 program is used for all
benchmarks, since it offers extensive adjustments and a fast result comparison.

First the maximum possible frequency of the memory module was determined.
The memory frequency was increased in small steps with a fixed memory timing of 4-4-4-10 2T and default memory voltage, as long as the detailed memory test with Memtest86 runs without any errors.
This quite long testing time ensured that this frequency works really stable with these modules.

The highest possible frequency with 4-4-4-10 (Tcl Trcd Tras Trp) timings was stable with nice 443 MHz !

With increased voltages or lower timings it's possible to run clearly higher frequencies, because the frequency values
and timings depends directly from each other.

This highest possible frequency was compared to two adjustments.
On the one hand 443 MHz with SPD values (these are given by the manufacturer in the SPD IC), and on the
other hand 200 MHz with SPD values.
By the way, the "Memory Bus Range" is no benchmark value, but this value is quite simple to calculate by the
frequency and is useful for the benchmark comparison.

Here're the benchmark results:

And here's a diagram of the benchmark values:

The result of the Crucial PC2-6400 memory shows similar values as with very good PC-4000 DDR memory modules
and is thus excellently suitable to overclock a CPU with locked multiplier.
The SPD selected timing values with 443 MHz are approximately the same as in the test given timings,
so the benchmark results are almost identical.
Depending on the used motherboard one should check the optimal timings and optimal clock frequencies several times
with a benchmark tool to get the optimum out of these high-performance Crucial Ballistix PC2-6400 modules.

Result and general impression ...

The Crucial Ballistix 1GB PC2-6400 memory kit (BL2KIT6464AA804) is very well overclockable and thus can be used
excellent amongst others for the AMD Socket AM2 processors.
So the memory modules are a good basis for High-End Overclocker to get a higher performance with
current motherboards. This should be a good reason to justify the higher price.

Read on in the hardware test area with several hardware reviews ...

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All pictures and article copyright 2006 www.ocinside.de